(Oct. 8, 2008) -- At first glance, the names in Monday's four-round draft didn't carry quite the same familiar star power as the first leg of the allocation process or quite the intrigue of the international dispersal draft. But with a scant 28 spots available to a far greater number of players eager to get a foothold in the new league, it wasn't short on its own brand of drama.
And for fans eager to get a sense of what kind of lineup they'll see take the field next spring, Monday's proceedings were something of a Rosetta Stone, exponentially increasing what we know about each of the league's seven teams.
So let's get down to which teams made out best.
Boston Breakers
Picks: Amy LePeilbet, Nancy Augustyniak Goffi, Sue Weber, Kristin Luckenbill
(Brad Smith/isiphotos.com)
Amy LePeilbet will bolster the Boston Breakers defense.
Unlike the roads in and around the city the team will call home, the route the Breakers plan to navigate toward championship contention looks pretty intuitive.
Holding down the pivot spot in the middle of each round on Monday, the Breakers stuck with their theme of experience in tabbing defenders Amy LePeilbet and Nancy Augustyniak Goffi with their first two picks. The former Arizona State star and current Arizona State assistant coach, respectively, are proven commodities at the game's top level – Augustyniak Goffi in multiple WUSA seasons with the Atlanta Beat and LePeilbet in multiple appearances for the National Team in the run-up to the last World Cup-Olympic cycle.
Just about all of the Breakers initial moves prior to Monday had been geared toward the attack, but teaming up two veteran defenders like Augustyniak Goffi and LePeilbet instantly lends depth to the back line. And in third-round pick Sue Weber, the Breakers landed a young defender who could anchor things down the road – if she doesn't win regular minutes from the outset, either opposite Heather Mitts or in the middle. Not that the picks were without offensive benefit – stabilizing the defense should free Mitts to roam forward in support of Kristine Lilly, Angela Hucles, Kelly Smith and others.
After Sky Blue FC and Los Angeles filled needs at keeper in the opening round, fourth-round pick Kristin Luckenbill was an excellent value pick to pair with Irish international Emma Byrne, whose rights the Breakers hold.
Los Angeles
Picks: Karina LeBlanc, Kendall Fletcher, Christie Welsh, Manya Makoski
Los Angeles managed to get plenty of value out of its four picks to help tide over fans waiting for news on Marta's possible arrival. Whether or not she's a game-changer in the mold of Hope Solo or German star Nadine Angerer, longtime Canadian international Karina LeBlanc is the kind of dependable ‘keeper the team will be able to plug into the starting lineup and not have to worry about the rest of the season. That's no small perk for a team that hasn't yet assembled a potential starting back line.
Speaking of that back line, which already includes outside back Stephanie Cox, the draft did provide two potential key components in second-round pick Kendall Fletcher and third-round selection Manya Makoski. A star midfielder at Arizona State, Makoski is still growing into a role in the back line but could be a good sleeper to pair with Cox on the outside. She's seemingly a little undersized for the professional game, but it hasn't stopped her yet, and there's no reason to think she isn't still firmly on the upswing of her career.
Welsh, as she always seems to be, is the X-factor in Los Angeles' draft. Never quite able to nail down a spot in the National Team rotation under April Heinrichs, Greg Ryan or Pia Sundhage, she is nonetheless a proven finisher with the size and skills to make an immediate impact at the club level. Whether or not the likes of Marta and Han Duan materialize in Southern California next spring, Welsh must capitalize on the skill so many have seen in her.
St. Louis
Picks: India Trotter, Angie Woznuk, Joanna Lohman, Amanda Cinalli
Few teams made a bigger splash, or arguably took a bigger risk, in the international portion of the roster-building process than St. Louis. But regardless of what happens in the efforts to bring Daniela, Renata Costa and Lotta Schelin to the banks of the Mississippi, St. Louis used its limited assets in Monday's draft to great effect. Some teams walked away with more immediate answers, but even without a first-round pick, St. Louis emerged with three players with star-caliber ceilings in India Trotter (if a loan deal can be reached with Frankfurt), Angie Woznuk and Joanna Lohman.
If everything works out perfectly in negotiations for next season (which may be difficult given Schelin’s contract with Lyon), the top three draftees should provide depth as either complementary starters or key reserves. If some or most of the international players, a list that also includes Canada's Melissa Tancredi, Norway's Ingvild Stensland and England's Enoila Aluko, fail to arrive, Trotter, Woznuk and Lohman have the talent to play high profile roles for a young team laying a foundation for future success.
It's especially tempting to imagine what could unfold in a midfield that includes Lori Chalupny -- should Jorge Barcellos choose to play her there -- Woznuk and Lohman. Woznuk is the kind of pure playmaking midfielder that the National Team, and notably Chalupny, haven't had on a regular basis since before injuries pushed Aly Wagner down the depth chart.
Sky Blue FC
Picks: Cori Alexander, Keeley Dowling, Kasey White, Jenny Anderson-Hammond
Sometimes a draft pick is about need; sometimes it's about taking the best player left on the board. In a fortunate few situations, it's all of the above. While it's easy to wonder if Cori Alexander might have been available in the third round, considering no other ‘keeper was selected until the final round, she was far too good for Sky Blue to pass up without the benefit of hindsight. The former University of Portland standout certainly has the tools to be a first-choice ‘keeper from the moment the team gathers next spring.
Alexander was already going to be in good shape with Christie Rampone anchoring the back line, but until Monday's draft, it wasn't clear who those anchored few would be. Bringing in English international Anita Asante will be tremendous if it works out, but second-round pick Keeley Dowling and fourth-round pick Jenny Anderson-Hammond provide more concrete pillars to build around for now. Dowling, in particular, looks like one of those players who could gain a National Team foothold through WPS experience.
Chicago
Picks: Danesha Adams, Ella Masar, Marian Dalmy, Ifeoma Dieke
While defense seemed to rule much of Monday's draft, Chicago and coach Emma Hayes once again gave indications they'll be among the league's most entertaining sides (no matter what happens in negotiations with Brazilian star Cristiane, although recent reports from Sweden suggest positive vibes for her WPS arrival). Already possessing world-class attacking talent in Carli Lloyd and Lindsay Tarpley, and hoping to add more with the likes of England's Karen Carney and the aforementioned Cristiane, Chicago used its first two picks on players with goal-scoring pedigrees at the college level in first-round pick Danesha Adams (UCLA) and second-round pick Ella Masar (Illinois).
Adams' tremendous speed could make her a valuable weapon in an up-tempo attack for the Red Stars, but Masar is an equally intriguing prospect. One of the all-time leading scorers in the Big Ten, she may have landed with the perfect coach to guide her transition to scoring and playing with the necessary confidence at a professional level.
Chicago's binge on attacking players hasn't come completely at the expense of its back line, and veteran American international Kate Markgraf saw her unit take firmer shape with the additions of Marian Dalmy and Ifeoma Dieke in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. American-born but Scottish-raised before a standout career at Florida International, Dieke is obviously a familiar name to the former Arsenal coach.
Washington Freedom
Picks: Sarah Huffman, Becky Sauerbrunn, Lori Lindsey, Emily Janss
Change may be the buzzword of choice on both sides of the aisle in the Beltway these days, but the Freedom aren't buying it. Then again, there was a lot less wrong with the mix they had than the mess both political parties have made of the halls of power.
With two of the draft's first three picks, the Freedom stuck close to home with former Virginia and Washington W-League contributors Sarah Huffman and Becky Sauerbrunn. Both are emerging stars with full National Team potential in the midfield and defense, respectively.
But Huffman and Sauerbrunn are relative newcomers compared to third-round pick Lori Lindsey, another former Virginia Cavalier who played for the 2003 WUSA champion Washington Freedom and just a few months ago anchored the team's third-place finish in the W-League. Lindsey knows the system and should, along with Huffman, be capable of either playing cohesively alongside Homare Sawa or covering for her absence should negotiations with the Japanese star prove tricky.
The team's final pick on the day, veteran Emily Janss persevered long enough to move from a 13th-round pick in the 2001 WUSA entry draft to the fourth round this time. A productive outside back for the Freedom's W-League entry, she totaled a goal and three assists last season.
Bay Area
Picks: Jill Oakes, Kandace Wilson, Liz Bogus, Tracy Hamm
Bay Area loaded up on defensive stalwarts in the allocation process, landing Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler and Leslie Osborne. Then they added the potential for a dynamic attack with the rights to internationals Christine Sinclair, Formiga, Eriko Arakawa and Anja Mittag. So it's not too surprising that Monday's draft class was heavy on potential role players to fill in the missing pieces.
At the top of the class, Oakes is worthy of her place as the first defender off the board on the day. The former UCLA star most recently helped anchor the back line for the W-League champion Pali Blues (alongside fellow first-rounder Amy LePeilbet and second-rounder Kendall Fletcher). Steady and polished, it's easy to see her developing a productive symbiotic partnership with the physical and aggressive Buehler.
Bay Area went back to the Blues in the next two rounds, adding versatile talents Kandace Wilson, a potential goal-scoring presence, and Liz Bogus, a player capable of playing just about anywhere in front of Osborne and the back line. Neither was a particularly eye-popping choice – Wilson was sandwiched between Christie Welsh and India Trotter, while Bogus was selected immediately after Angie Woznuk and before Lori Lindsey – but they seem to fit exactly the mold Bay Area is forging of well-rounded technicians.
Former Cal standout Hamm, who earned first-team honors in the WPSL's Pacific Conference this summer, rounded out Bay Area’s picks.
Graham Hays is an ESPN columnist and a contributor to womensprosoccer.com. He can be reached at moonlighthays@gmail.com. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Women’s Professional Soccer or womensprosoccer.com.
